Full Circle
by bowlofteriyaki
Summary: Shinobi. Soldier. Killer. A far cry from the sparkle eyed youth he once was, these were the last semblances of familiarity a now adult Naruto Uzumaki could cling to. Ripped from a war broken world and thrust into one with hope, can the young blond man regain his humanity or will he be cast into the darkness once more? M for violence and adult themes.
1. Prologue

**I want to preface this story by saying that this is a rekindling of ideas I had a long time ago when I tried to write this crossover many years ago. I called my story** ** _Fairy Tail of a Lone Ninja_** **under the name** ** _Teriyakibowl._** **Anyway, if you're reading this and were ever invested in that story I apologize. You can consider it scrapped. I hope this new one can sate some palates. Honest reviews welcome. Enjoy!**

* * *

The Fifth Shinobi World War had spiraled far beyond a point of return. After Kaguya's defeat, the shinobi nations lived in relative peace and the land experienced great prosperity. This peace, however, was short lived, as corrupt and greedy men eventually found their way to power, throwing the land into chaos again. As it happens, grudges are not so easily forgotten, and new friends reverted to old enemies. Those wishing for peace like a certain jinchuuriki were quickly eclipsed by the power hungry. In the struggle for dominion, two factions steadily grew larger and larger. The enormous empires of Konoha and the Sand faced against the Rock and Cloud. Many of the smaller nations took up with what they saw as their best bet for survival, and the rest were quickly occupied by the surrounding forces.

It had been a long eight years for Naruto, and still there seemed to be no end to the war. The once cheerful blond boy no longer held the sunny disposition most people were accustomed to. This Naruto was no longer a boy, but a battle worn and tired man. He scorned the world that robbed him of of his friends and rendered him the last of his kind. Indeed, Bee had been slain, by the leaf's forces no less. Naruto often struggled with the question of how he would face Bee in battle and mourned the fact he would no longer have the chance.

Perhaps no longer caring much for his own life, Naruto had grown accustom to forsaking his techniques and giving in to a reckless and wild nature. It was for this reason that he now found himself mortally wounded on the battlefield. Apparently even a sage had his limits. Most of the combat had ceased and moved into the distance, so the blond's labored breaths resounded off a backdrop of the brisk wind and far off battles. In immense pain and rapidly losing blood, he desperately tried to prop himself up. Painstakingly, he put up his left arm, then a _thud_. Peering down at his frame, he looked at the now vacant space where his arm once was. Deep gashes and wounds covered his torso creating the wet mixture of blood and dirt he now lay in. His panic soon gave way to resignation as he peered up at the night sky.

" _You wouldn't happen to have any chakra left eh, Kurama_?" He asked already knowing the answer. The pair had been fighting a whole day, and while the fox's power was immense, it wasn't infinite.

" _Don't ask me leading questions, you know it pisses me off._ " the fox snarled.

" _Nasty as eve_ r" he shot back with a smirk. " _Glad you can still be annoyed at the end of the road_." Despite time's toll on the blond, he still had the nerve to offer a sarcastic quip or two.

The fox paused with a contemplative look, then quickly replace his expression with a sneer. " _Perhaps for me, not for you._ "

Confused, Naruto questioned, " _What are you_ -"

" _Save it. There is not much time,_ " the fox interjected. " _Brace yourself. This will not be pleasant. I'm taking you to a realm beyond this plane where you can heal your wounds._ "

Naruto hadn't missed Kurama's cryptic words earlier. " _That's good, right?_ _ **We**_ _can heal up good as new, right?_ "

" _It's a technique. In exchange for the bijuu, we can open a rift to this plane. From there you'll be spit back out to the real world once your wounds have healed._ " The fox rapidly began weaving signs.

" _Wait just a second Kurama, what do you mean you're going to-_ "

The fox interrupted him again, " _Just don't go telling long tales about my charity work. If you fucking blab a word about this, I'll find a way to come back and kill you, brat._ " Completing the seals, a bright light engulfed the fox. Naruto felt a vicious tugging sensation from the center of his body and the last thing he heard before his world went black was the fox's distinct bellows of laughter until they faded into the silence.


	2. I

The first thing Naruto felt was the throbbing sensation in his head. He attempted to open his eyes only to shut them again as white light invaded his senses. Letting out a groan, he slowly sat up putting his hand to his head. "What the hell?"

"You're finally awake." He had sensed an unhostile presence upon waking, but the words nonetheless broke him from his thoughts. Still struggling to see, he peered in the direction of the voice, making out a tall lithe figure. "You know you've been asleep for nearly a week."

That was enough to rouse the blond. _A week? What happened that I needed a week to recover?_ Very quickly the events from before came to him. The battle, his grave injuries, "Kurama!" he shouted. He retreated into his mindscape scanning fervently for any trace of the fox only to be met with nothingness. To his dismay he found he could no longer feel the natural presence of the other tailed beasts either. Realizing that what the fox said had come to fruition, he opened his eyes staring hard at his hands.

The woman, now irately pulling his ear grumbled, "You know it's damn rude to ignore someone who's looking after you!"

Looking back at the woman with his vision now restored, he took a moment to regain his composure and take in her appearance. She was an elderly woman with bright pink hair, but that wasn't what stuck out to Naruto. She stood with a powerful presence that demanded respect. "I owe you my thanks then," he started. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"Hmph. In truth most of your wounds were already healed by the time that fool Makarov found you so don't bother with the thank yous. My name is Porlyusica and you're in my home."

 _So Kurama's portal stunt did work._

"I see… so Porlyusica, where am I exactly?" he reiterated.

"The east forests of Fiore."

Naruto frowned. The name was foreign to him. He prided himself on having traveled extensively across the globe, not to mention all of the master spy networks he had inherited from Jiraiya. Not once had he ever heard a mention of this Fiore the woman spoke of. Amidst the pause in conversation, Naruto's stomach let out a loud growl once again breaking him from his thoughts. The two shared a glance that ended with the woman letting out a sigh that Naruto could only interpret more as an annoyed grunt. Walking across the room and returning with a steaming bowl, Porlyusica commanded, "eat."

Complying, Naruto gestured his hands together in a silent affirmation of thanks and dug in with gusto. Very rarely did he have the opportunity to enjoy luxuries like a hot meal amidst his usual array of soldier pills and nutritional rations. He couldn't help but don a slight smile, recalling the meals Hinata made for him when he was injured early on in the war. She was killed not long after, and such happy thoughts seemed to recede into distant memory.

Throughout the rest of the evening he spoke with Porlyusica about Fiore and the elemental nations. Gruff as she was, Naruto had grown a strange liking for such attitudes. It carried an air of genuineness. "I see… so you've never heard of these elemental nations? The leaf? The war? Nothing?"

"No. Like I've already said it's unlikely we're even talking about the same world. You should speak with the guild master of Fairy Tail, Makarov. He might know more than I."

"And you think this Fairy Tail might help?"

"I said Makarov. Not his band of brats. You can worry about that tomorrow, for now you can stay the night. Since you seem fine I want you out of here by sunrise." With that, Porlyusica curtly spun on her heel and retreated to her quarters.

Naruto thought about his next move. This Fairy Tail was his only shot in the dark to learn more about this world and the possibility to return to his. Though concerned, Naruto was still exhausted and very eager to get more rest. The next day he rose early and thanked Porlyusica for her aid. Tying his cloak and strapping his weapon to his back, he set out deeper within the forest.

Truthfully, his inability feel the other tailed beasts bothered him. Since awakening he had felt strange, as if a part of himself had been removed, not so unlike his missing appendage. Finally in a satisfactorily secluded spot beside a lake, he sat down in a meditative pose. Stretching his chakra as far as possible through his mindscape, he called out to the bijuu only to unsurprisingly be met with silence. _No more six paths powers._

Recalling his final conversation with the Nine-Tails, he mused to himself. _Kurama brought me to some realm apart from the elemental nations. All he said was I would be brought back to the real world once I was healed._ Again frowning, he concluded that whatever this enigmatic portal through realms was, it didn't have a bias. A thought suddenly occurred to him. _My summons!_ He rolled his eyes at his own lack of insight and flashed his one handed seals.

"Kuchiyose!"

The complex summoning characters etched into the ground under his palm spreading like a web. A puff of smoke… and nothing. Naruto held his pose a moment longer then let loose a tired sigh. Overcome with a feeling of isolation, he reflected on the times his allies had been a beacon of hope for him and furrowed his brow in frustration for taking so long to pay them any mind. Instead he had found himself in his latest years consumed by his savagery and ruthless focus in battle. Removing these thoughts from his mind, Naruto steeled himself and hopped to his feet hoping to get used to his now limited body. He stepped out onto the surface of the water, effortlessly releasing chakra from beneath his feet. Drawing chakra to his palm, he formed the familiar blue sphere, letting it spin brilliantly in the sun's rays. He held it for a few seconds then let it dissipate.

 _At least I still have good control of my chakra._

Counting the small victories, he moved on to kenjutsu. Drawing his chakra sabre with his left hand, he took a few brisk swings then held it out in front of him in the standard ready stance. The weapon felt weaker in his offhand. Though years of training had rendered him largely ambidextrous, the slight lack of depth in his swings served as a reminder to his predicament. The blade gleamed in the sunlight, much like it did the first he had trained with it. It had been a gift from Kakashi, the same famed blade his father, Sakumo Hatake once wielded. Kakashi had given it to him as a passing of the torch after he finally stepped down from his role as Hokage. By then Naruto no longer desired the position and had turned it down, but he graciously accepted the gift at his lazy sensei's insistence.

Blazing through a set of parrying stances, he let the blade fluidly dance from one side to the other. He performed another parry, then thrust the blade for a stab. Hopping back to mimic dodging a strike, he lunged forward bringing his blade across in a wide horizontal arc from his right to left, finishing his imaginary opponent. Satisfied, he huffed away his remaining exhaustion, sheathing his blade.

He paused, noticing his reflection on the lake's surface. Deep scars covered his well-built frame, giving him an aged look much older than he was. Tracing one scar up to his arm, he stopped upon the ANBU symbol, bringing his thoughts to his time spent under "Bird's" tutelage. The old captain was largely responsible for tempering much of Naruto's brash nature into the competent focus he now possessed. He was quieter now than in his youth. Contemplative. It was with ANBU under "Bird's" leadership where he was forced to learn that his constant desire to resolve things with happy endings simply held no place where things were not so cut and dry. He recalled his first mission in black ops to incite a rebellion against a bandit lord's rule in the smaller neighboring villages. As his squad dispersed throughout the town, he came upon a group of bandits alternating themselves upon a young girl much too young to be of marital age. Even with the best intentions, sometimes the only remedy for the sake of one's sanity was cold steel. Keeping himself concealed, he crept behind the first man and slit his throat with his kunai. The man fell to his knees clutching his neck, desperately gasping but only making a pitiful gurgling sound.

"What the f-" Before the second bandit could even finish his sentence, Naruto had closed the distance and lodged his kunai with such force in his throat that it crushed his windpipe entirely. Drawing his ANBU blade, he turned to face the third bandit. In complete desperation he let out a cry and swung at Naruto with his knife. Ducking the wild sideswipe, Naruto lunged upward at blinding speed, shoving his weapon through the bottom of the bandit's throat out the top of his skull. He quickly pulled the blade free from the body causing a sickening grinding sound as bone scraped steel. As the bandits already lifeless body fell to his knees, Naruto roared, and in one fluid motion severed the man's head from his body.

He stood there for a few moments panting heavily, taken aback at his own brutality. Suddenly recalling his mission and the woman, he turned to her, her eyes wide with terror. As he stepped forward she screamed, "P-Please don't! Get away!" As she fervently tried to back away from him. Dismayed, Naruto simply leapt away and alerted a few nearby women of the girl's whereabouts. Where was the happy ending in all of that? Shaking his head at his naivete, he dusted himself off, resolving to find the guild Porlyusica spoke of and set out for the direction of Magnolia Town.

* * *

Finally at the vibrant city, Naruto had little trouble navigating the straight paths with the help of Porlyusica's directions. He couldn't help but gawk at how different it was from the elemental nations. Tall buildings of stone in designs he'd never seen lined the streets for what seemed like miles. Long and enormous horseless carts seemingly glided across tracks of metal and wood. The people, however, hustled to and fro going about their busy lives not so unlike the Hidden Leaf, though there wasn't the sticky haze of apprehensiveness from the war. His eyes caught a blacksmith shop nearby and made a mental note to return and stock up on much of the gear he was missing.

Soon enough, he came across a tall, ornate building with the unmistakable words "Fairy Tail" on display. Naruto rose an eyebrow and the curiously similar roofing design to some of the more important buildings back in the elemental nations, but just as quickly discarded it as coincidence. Marching forward, he pushed open the great double doors only to once again raise his eyebrows, only this time in incredulity. He had expected an official sort of operation, not mugs of liquor flying across the room at the same pace as the vulgarity. This place reminded him of some of the gruffer bars he had visited with Anko and Ibiki. Nonetheless, it gave the distinct air of character, where one knew that good and honest times were had.

A young woman he had already identified as the barkeep then approached him with an enthusiastic smile. "Hi stranger!"

The blond returned with a light smile of his own, "Hello to you too."

"We don't get many visitors to the guild hall. Can we help you with something? I'm Mirajane by the way.

"Naruto," he offered. "Porlyusica told me I could find your guild master, Makarov, here."

"The forest healer?" she questioned, giving him a quizzical look. "Ah! That's right. Master mentioned he found someone in the forests. I'm sure he'd want to speak with you. Come with me!"

Naruto followed her through the middle of the hall, ignoring most of the inquisitive and challenging looks he received. Mirajane brought him up the stairs to the back of the guild to a pair of large chamber doors, giving a them a few swift raps. To Naruto's surprise, a short elderly man about up to his waist in height managed to pry open the seemingly colossal doors.

"Right, I'll leave you two to it then. See you around, Naruto!" With an affable wink, Mirajane briskly turned and sauntered off.

"I see you've met Mira," Makarov chuckled, watching her trod away. "Probably the friendliest out of the bunch. Come in, I had a feeling Porlyusica would send you here."

Walking in and taking a seat, Naruto gauged the man before him. Though short he was clearly powerful. The blond could literally feel the suppressed energy rippling off of him in waves. He started, "I heard I have you to thank for finding me."

"Indeed I did my boy, you were very weak when I found you, although it didn't seem like you had any severe injuries. My name is Makarov Dreyar, the guild master of Fairy Tail."

Naruto returned, "Ah, right. Thanks again old man. I'm Naruto. I'm afraid I've got a lot to discuss with you."

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Makarov wordlessly ushered for him to continue. "Right. Well the thing is, based on what I've already spoken with Porlyusica about, it looks like I'm not from this world. I'm not talking about country or continent either. Some things happened and I've basically been taken from my own world and thrown into this one."

If Makarov was surprised he didn't show it. With crossed arms and eyes closed he let out a low grunt. "I had a feeling something like that might be the case. The reason I found you in the first place was because I felt a strange energy while I was nearby."

"Porlyusica said you might know something about all this?"

"I'm afraid not, as far as I'm aware, inter-dimensional magic is ancient and inconclusive."

Naruto sighed for what he felt like was the tenth time that day. _I'm turning into Shikamaru._ "Damn it."

Makarov studied Naruto carefully. While not sensing any malice, the blond man remained largely an enigma. Probing him, he asked, "What was your world like?"

Naruto thought hard about how to answer the question. His first inclination was to withhold as much information as possible. After all his business was one of espionage as much as it was warfare. Weighing against his circumstances, however, he decided honesty might be most prudent. After all, did he really have much to lose at this point?

"I was… am a soldier. Most troops are trained in both combat and techniques analogous to your magic. For the last eight years, our world has been consumed by a global war. I've always loved my home and my comrades and fought and killed to protect them, but after losing most of them over a war I fought so hard to prevent, I'm just not sure what it was all for. Anyway, just recently I was mortally wounded. To make a long story short, a… friend, was sealed inside me a long time ago and sacrificed himself to take me to a realm where my wounds could heal. Instead of sending me back home afterward, I was taken here. And here we are."

Sitting back in his chair, Makarov thoughtfully stroked his mustache. _A soldier? The brats are strong and brave kids, but they know nothing of battles and wars, let alone killing. If I were to offer him a place here…_ Makarov was a seasoned man. He had seen and done many things to preserve what he believed in and could sympathize in a way with the man. It wasn't as if his own hands were completely clean. O _h, what the hell._

Sporting a grin Makarov spoke, "Naruto, you're a different caliber of a man than most of the younguns here. Still, it wouldn't sit right with me to just turn you away. I can offer you a place with us for the time being if you can help us out with a few jobs here and there."

His spirits lifting for the first time since arriving in this strange land, Naruto couldn't help but let a slight grin creep onto his face. "Sure thing old man, sounds simple enough."

"Excellent! Come see me again later and I'll have something arranged for you. For now I suggest you get yourself acclimated with the other members. They're a rowdy bunch but they can grow on you."

"Thanks." He reached out to shake Makarov's hand, both sharing a steady grip. When he tried to let go, Makarov's grip stood firm, eyes digging into Naruto's.

"A word of warning, Naruto. I'm not sure what the laws said back in your world, but killing between guilds is not allowed. Furthermore, many of my children have experienced loss, but they are naive and know little of death. We're a family here and we look out for each other, I expect you to do the same."

At his words, Naruto was fondly reminded of the Sandaime and his love for him and the village. With a somber smile, Naruto responded, "That's something I can respect old man. Thank you."

* * *

 **This is my first full fledged chapter, and can I just say I feel pretty good about it. Keep the reviews coming because I'd really like to improve my writing and I want to know what you all think. Thanks for reading!**


	3. II

Makarov lead the way back down to the guild hall. Naruto had denied the need for big introductions, but the old master all but insisted. Begrudgingly, he trudged behind. At the balcony overlooking the hall the master bellowed, "Listen up runts! I'd like you all to meet someone. This man is Naruto Uzumaki, an important guest with Fairy Tail! He'll be working with us for the time being so I expect you all to treat him as one of the family. Let's all give him a warm Fairy Tail welcome!"

"Oi!" The hall cheered in synchronized unison, slowly erupting into a chaotic amalgam of cheers. Somewhat taken aback by the mass greeting, he gave an awkwardly sincere smile and a wave. Turning to the master he shot him a look, receiving only a knowing smile in return. The cheers soon died down and returned to a mess of brawls and booze. Walking down to the guild floor, Naruto wondered what awaited him. Konoha had been engulfed by a state of total war and saw every level of society involved in one way or another toward bolstering its defenses. Here, things were calmer, and although he enjoyed the mostly welcoming atmosphere, he found it difficult to adjust. Deciding he needed something to ease his nerves, he headed over to the bar, once again weaving past belligerent guild members and flying mugs. Seeing Mirajane behind the counter, he gave a smile and a wave, taking a seat at the far end. "Mira."

With a cheerful smile back she exclaimed, "Naruto! How did you like your official welcome?"

"It's a lot to take in but I can't complain. Reminds me a bit of home." _Or how it used to be._

"Oh? Where's home? Can I get you an ale?"

Not in the mood to explain more than he had to, he dodged the first question and focused on the latter. "Mm, quite far from here. Got anything stiffer?"

Nodding, Mirajane turned grabbing one of the more obscure bottles off the shelf. She knew every guild member had something they'd rather not speak of. "How was your talk with the master?"

"Well enough I think. It looks like I'll be around to stay for a while."

She chuckled, "So it does," setting the drink down in front of him.

Naruto held the glass, spinning the honey hued liquid a few times then took a sip. _Delicious._ "What is this? It's been a while since I've had something this good."

"It's guild made, some of the best." Mirajane winked, "Consider it my welcoming gift to you."

A voice suddenly popped up behind him, "Jesus, Mira, heading right to the good stuff for the newbie?" Naruto turned in the direction of a voice and had to catch himself from falling off his seat. A slightly intoxicated, young and large-chested woman, clad in little more than a bikini and baring her midriff, stood brazenly in front of him with a hand on her hip. Minus the dark hair, Naruto felt some serious Tsunade-like agressiveness from the girl. She continued, "How am I supposed keep this buzz going if you keep dishing out freebies?"

"Last I checked you've been running up some pretty long unpaid tabs yourself," Mirajane shot back with an eye smile.

Faltering and nervously laughing it off, she turned to Naruto giving him a nonchalant gaze. "So new guy, huh?" At that, Mirajane just sighed shaking her head.

"Yup. Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki," he greeted.

"Cana. Anyone who can stomach the hard stuff is alright with me, I suppose," she grinned. "Welcome aboard this merry band of misfits. Hope you're not a lightweight like most of these chumps."

Naruto gave her remark a light laugh. "Is that a challenge?"

"With an attitude like that I think you'll fit in just fine. Better prepare yourself too, I'm willing to bet more than a few will want to gauge your strengths."

Naruto wasn't really surprised. There had been a similar sort of ritual when he first joined ANBU, though he was willing to bet that initiation was a bit more thorough. It was the closest that a 'friendly spar' had come to a deathmatch for him. As if on cue, a pink haired teen strode right up to him with a fiery confidence and a flying cat in tow. Naruto contained his surprise at the flying feline, but quickly shrugged it off. He'd seen stranger things among the various summoning contracts. The boy stared at Naruto, standing invasively in the blond's personal space, before finally breaking out into a cheeky grin.

"You seem strong. Fight me!"

"Aye!" The cat yelled in affirmation.

"Natsu, Happy! Don't be rude!" Mirajane frowned. "Is that really any way to greet someone?"

Holding his hand out, he stopped her, "It's alright Mira." He turned back to the pink haired boy now identified as Natsu, giving him a calculating look. Truthfully, he was in desperate need of a sparring partner to help him gauge his current strength. Makarov had brought up the notion of a prosthetic, but he didn't know when he'd get the chance for one and would rather not be caught off guard. Finally deciding, he let loose a grunt and shrugged, "Sure I'll take you on." Kicking back the rest of the liquor in a swift gulp, he shook his head once, warding off the burn. "Just don't cry too much when I kick your ass." Naruto's jab was enough to rile the teen's spirits.

Letting out a growl, Natsu declared, "Don't underestimate me! I'm gonna take you down!"

* * *

Natsu led the two of them over to a nearby clearing where most of the guild mages trained. A good number of guild members came as well, both curious about the newcomer and excited to see an assumed non-S-class mage fearlessly challenge Natsu. Mirajane and Cana had come along, wine barrel in tow, and Happy had snugly situated himself in a blond girl's lap. Naruto and Natsu distanced themselves on the field and faced each other.

"Go Natsu!" Happy cheered.

The blond girl looked curiously at the dragonslayer and the still enigmatic Naruto. Directing her gaze and Mirajane, she asked, "You've talked to him the most Mira, did you find out what kind of wizard he is?"

Shaking her head, Mirajane replied, "No, he didn't mention a thing."

Giving his legs a few good low stretches and a few jumps, Naruto removed his cloak, wanting to offer Natsu the sentiment that he took this seriously. Instead, he gave most of the guild members a bit of a shock at his missing arm. Natsu especially gave a wide eyed stare and started to speak, "Your arm! Are you okay with-"

"Natsu." Naruto interrupted, settling into an unflinching stance and steel gaze. "You asked me not to underestimate you. I suggest you do the same."

Seeing the blond's confident resolve, Natsu grinned and took his own stance. "I'm gettin' fired up!" He yelled, lighting his fists ablaze.

 _Fire, huh?_ Quickly swiping most of the basic wind ninjutsu off the table, Naruto did a quick threat analysis. Natsu's personality and unabashedness were remarkably like his own in his youth. And if he knew himself… _Frontal charge._ Naruto settled into a taijutsu stance Lee had taught him, rapidly performing a few mental kata.

As he anticipated, Natsu roared and dashed quickly at him. He yelled, " _ **Karyuu no Tekken! (**_ **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist),"** bringing his fist down at a vertical angle. At the last second and not wasting any movement, Naruto pivoted, sidestepping the blow. Raising his knee, he struck Natsu in the stomach, effectively forcing him to recoil. Naruto capitalized on the now off balance Natsu and stepped forward, delivering a swift overhand strike to the jaw and forcing him backwards.

Natsu's head snapped back, but he rapidly recovered, this time igniting his feet and propelling himself at twice the speed at Naruto. Compensating for the quickness, Naruto moved on the defensive. Taking advantage of his superior footwork, he seemingly danced in and out of Natsu's flurry of flaming fists and kicks. Preparing his counter attack, he concentrated chakra into his hand, creating a blue aura. He waited for a sloppy move and parried Natsu's fist away. Spinning low to maximize his speed, he delivered a blindingly fast kick at Natsu's head. Natsu barely avoided the attack allowing the move to lightly graze his skin as he fell slightly backward. Before he could regain his footing, Naruto used his forward momentum to again close the distance. Getting into his guard, Naruto planted his foot behind Natsu's leg, grabbed his arm, and used his greater body weight to throw Natsu to the ground with enough force to leave cracks in the dirt.

Natsu gasped for air having the wind literally knocked out of his lungs. Getting up to one knee, he tried desperately to catch his breath and gazed at Naruto with one eye shut in a grimace. He was growing frustrated. Very few opponents he had faced fought with as much skill as the new guild member, let alone kept up with him with nothing more than a few physical attacks. Most of his opponents least allowed a little opening for him to showcase his moves, but this Naruto gave none. Growling in frustration as he lifted himself, Natsu clapped his hands together. An almost fluorescent stream of fire began circling wildly around his clasped hands into a sphere. The sphere continued to grow until it was about twice the size of Natsu. Impressed, Naruto cracked a small smirk, reminded of his own oodama rasengan. What he hadn't expected, however, was for Natsu to throw the damn thing.

"Catch!"

Widening his eyes at the sudden attack, Naruto quickly performed a series of shunshin, hopping and flickering back just in time to avoid being engulfed by the explosion of flames. On the sidelines, Cana was the first to speak, "What the hell. Did any of you see him move?"

The others could only shake their heads, unable to form a response. The blond was absurd.

Happy nervously bit his lower lip, "Come on Natsu don't give up!"

Naruto studied the heavily panting Natsu for a moment. He mentally scolded himself for assuming the sphere of fire couldn't be thrown, frustrated that he made such a rookie mistake. Calming himself down, he was reminded just how similar his old self had been to Natsu: loud, strong, and sloppy. As it stood, Naruto had way too many opportunities to deliver a finishing strike. With training and some fine tuning, he could be a serious adversary to deal with. Satisfied with his understanding of his own capabilities and seeing he had Natsu outmatched, he decided to start wrapping the spar up.

Natsu on his knee for the second time looked warily at the blond. He had to ask, "How did you get so strong? I haven't even seen any magic yet besides that blue thing on your arm!"

"Years of training and resolve. Come on, are you out of moves?"

Gritting his teeth, Natsu determinedly stood, preparing for his signature attack. Gathering an immense amount of magical energy, he boldly declared, "Dodge this one! _**Karyuu no Houko (Fire Dragon's Roar)!**_ "

The jet of fire moved much more quickly than Naruto anticipated, giving him a brief instant to evade, the attack still singing his sleeves. Natsu increased the strength of his magical energy, and blanketed the area in his flames, forcing Naruto onto the outer perimeter. Both surprised and pleased at Natsu's strength, he decided to up the ante. Reaching into his belt pouch, he fished out a kunai with his father's legendary seal, throwing it behind Natsu. He then gathered wind chakra into his palm, forming a significantly weakened rasengan. _**Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)!**_ Teleporting instantly behind Natsu, he thrust his palm forward, delivering the wind energy directly into Natsu and sending him careening several meters across the field.

That was enough to shock the onlookers. Naruto had practically dismantled Natsu without a scratch using techniques they'd never even seen before. Only the S-class guild members had managed that, which could only mean the blond man was at least on a similar level. At this point, Happy was bawling pitifully and flew over to Natsu. The pink haired teenager slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, still in a pained daze.

"That last move of yours was pretty impressive." Naruto's comment brought Natsu back to reality.

Looking away, Natsu responded dejectedly, "Sure, but I didn't lay a scratch on you."

"True, but I've been training for a long time. Where I come from a mistake could mean your life. Tell you what, anytime you want to train or spar just come see me. I bet you could learn a thing or two."

His frown turning into a smile, Natsu's mood completely turned around, excitement about training replacing his thoughts of defeat. "You're on!"

* * *

Naruto found himself at the blacksmith's shop to replace most of the damaged and missing supplies he'd lost before the whole dimensions debacle. In theme with his high speed combat style, he now donned a lightweight armored vest with a brown steel reinforced pauldron. For sentiments sake he kept his tattered and stained dark cloak, giving him the look of a ronin. Fingering his throwing knives, he holstered them in the various discrete locations beneath his cloak. While they weren't kunai, they'd get the job done. He'd even requested a prosthetic arm, though it wouldn't be ready for some time. Finally feeling at ease with his new equipment, he started his trek back to the guild.

A week had passed since his spar with Natsu and things had been turbulent Naruto. The guild members were kind enough, but the endless questions about his fight, skills, and homeland tired him more than he cared to admit. He was thankful that his usual bar company, Mira and Cana, offered him some respite and refrained from prodding about his past. He'd become acquainted with a few others, namely his fellow blond and newcomer, Lucy, and Mirajane's younger brother, Elfman, the latter of whom had developed a sort of obsession with Naruto's apparent manliness. He'd also met the ice mage, Gray, though Naruto was hesitant to call his encounter a meeting and more of an unrequested and unwanted striptease.

Walking through the large double doors of the guild, he was greeted by a few of the members who he casually waved back to. He situated himself next to Lucy at the bar and started on the drink Mirajane passed his way. Turning around to face the floor area, he amusedly watched Natsu and Gray bicker over trivial matters, smiling at how similar their rivalry was to his and Sasuke's. He never quite learned what had happened to his dear friend. During the war, Sasuke embarked on numerous deep infiltration and long term missions, so often so that he rarely reported back to the village unless absolutely necessary. Eventually, however, the reports just stopped entirely after a stint in lightning country. Naruto half suspected and half hoped Sasuke was just being cautious, but if even the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki could be bested so too could the last Uchiha. Shaking his head at his worries, he turned to Lucy, "Are those two always like this?"

She rolled her eyes, "Literally all the time. Although it usually ends once Gray starts stripping."

Mirajane interjected, "Aren't they such good friends? Don't worry though, this won't be for much longer. I heard Erza is coming back anytime now."

The name piqued his interest. Naruto recalled the name as one of Fairy Tail's strongest mages they had to offer. Just then, Fairy Tail's resident flirt, Loke, came running in. He yelled, "Oh crap! Natsu! Gray! Erza's back!"

Naruto received a little confirmation about Erza's strength, as Natsu and Gray both stiffened and shrieked in panic. As if to add to the dramatic response and Naruto's incredulity, a young red haired woman marched into the hall carrying an enormous and elaborate horn. "I'm back," she simply declared. Naruto almost laughed at the excessive nature of Erza's return as the guild members inquired about the horn. This woman was bold and comically stiff, a stark change of pace from the usually chaotic guild. He audibly chuckled at the timeliness of his thoughts, as Erza proceeded to reprimand nearly everyone. Letting out a tired sigh, her expression turned serious towards Natsu and Gray. "I need a favor from you two. While I was away I overhead some disturbing rumors. I need a your help. You'll come with me, right?" Without even waiting for a response, she turned on her heel, "We leave tomorrow. Prepare yourself." Unceremoniously, Erza walked out of the guild, leaving a stunned duo in her wake.

Naruto let out an impressed whistle. "She's a real firebrand, huh?"

Mirajane let out her own surprise, "Erza, Natsu, and Gray… This may be the strongest team in Fairy Tail."

"You can't be serious. That's amazing!" Lucy gasped.

"You know, it'd be great if they form a team but I'm worried since they don't get along that well." Mirajane paused thoughtfully before smiling and gesturing at the two blonds. "I have an idea, why don't you two go along with them to keep the peace?"

Naruto and Lucy shared a glance. _Playing mediator huh?_ Lucy was less than enthused to walk into a hostile situation with a bunch of hotheaded mages. Naruto on the other hand thought differently. _This might be a good chance to see this guild in action._ Naruto smiled, "Sure."

"Eeeh!? You're actually up for this?" Lucy asked bemusedly.

"Yeah, it's about time I started some jobs for the old man. Besides, how hard can watching after a couple of kids be?"

* * *

 **And that's two full fledged chapters done. Life has been a little hectic lately, so updates may be sparse in the upcoming future. I will be working on this in my free time, though.**


	4. III

Naruto weaved his way through the sea of people waiting in the massive terminal. He didn't show it, but whatever this so called train was had piqued his curiosity. Unfortunately, Natsu and Gray's antics had long since overshadowed his excitement and replaced it with a growing impatience. Seeing Erza finally approach with her absurd number of bags, he thanked the heavens and shed a few tears of joy as Natsu and Gray snapped to attention.

"Apologies, did I make you all wait?" Turning her head, Erza looked to the two new blonds, "Hmm… I believe you both were at the guild yesterday."

Nodding his head at Erza in greeting, Naruto introduced himself, "Naruto Uzumaki."

Lucy gave a deep bow, "I'm a new member, too! I'm Lucy. Mira asked us to come along."

"I see, so you're the new members everyone's been talking about." Erza observed Naruto carefully, "I'd heard you defeated Natsu with ease. I'm Erza, it's a pleasure to meet you two. This mission may be risky but I think with this team we'll manage fine."

Natsu was fuming at Erza's inadvertent jab before calming down and stepping forward, "One condition, Erza. When we get back I want to fight you. I'm not the same as I used to be."

Naruto smiled. _Ever the fighter._ The train pulled into the station just as Erza accepted the challenge. As it slowed to a stop in front of the platform, Naruto boarded the nearest car in ready anticipation. Once the train resumed motion, Natsu collapsed headfirst, barely conscious onto the ground. Naruto's senses went on high alert, "What happened?"

Lucy reassured, "Don't worry he's fine. He just can't handle moving vehicles… at all."

Relaxing and shaking his head, he hauled the ragdoll teen into one of the booths and sat down with the rest of the group following suit. He looked up to see the redheaded ironclad woman looking at him intently. She started, "I've heard a few things about your match with Natsu."

"He's a tough kid. A little rough around the edges but he'll be an incredibly skilled mage if he can focus that temper."

Not convinced by his dodging tone, she pressed, "You must be quite formidable yourself to take down our resident dragonslayer with little effort."

Naruto just shrugged, "I can hold my own. I've heard, though, that most of the stronger members aren't at the guild too often, including yourself."

"Yes, that's right. Some of us are rather reclusive, but most of our jobs take days if not weeks to complete. Still, I return to the guild more often than most."

Lucy's grew curious, "You know I've only seen Natsu and Naruto's magic so far." She turned towards Erza and Gray, "What kind of magic do you two use?"

With minimal enthusiasm, Gray "harrumphed", creating a ice sculpture of the guild mark, "Ice magic."

"It's beautiful!" Lucy remarked. With a teasing smile she laughed, "No wonder you and Natsu don't get along. Fire and ice."

Coughing up another grunt, Gray ignored the comment, looking away in half embarrassment and annoyance.

Erza spoke up next, "I use a form of magic called requip. I can call upon and wield hundreds of different armors and weapons for different situations. I also have some telekinetic ability that allows me to use my weapons without physically touching them."

"Amazing!" Lucy once again exclaimed. "Hundred!? You must be the strongest member!"

Shaking her head, Erza countered, "The guild has a few incredibly strong members that even I rarely see."

Lucy piped up next, "Well I have my celestial spirits!" She help up her ring of keys, "Each one of these brings out one of my summons that can help me out in a pinch."

This caught Naruto's attention, "Summons? Summoned from where?"

"Spirits have their own world! These keys are effectively contracts we have with a particular spirit that allows us to summon them into our world."

Naruto was unsure what to make of this news. _Summons? Contracts? Is this really coincidence?_

The attention then gravitated to Naruto. Shinobi techniques had some similarity to the mages he'd encountered, but he had yet to really divulge the nature of his skills. Still, he answered, "I have a wide variety of techniques, but you can just consider me a combat specialist. I have an affinity for wind and good with a sword. I can also create copies of myself to fight for a while. They're pretty fragile though."

"Copies?" Erza asked in surprise. "Very few mages can perform such magic."

Naruto just shrugged, "It's a trick I picked up over the years."

Erza made sure to probe him later, but let it go for the time being. Soon enough the train pulled into their destination. Naruto was the first to head to the exit. Once they were on the platform, he turned to Erza, "Perhaps it's time you told us about the mission."

"Yes. While I was away I overheard a name… Eligor. Shinigami Eligor. He's a part of a dark guild called Eisenwald and we're going to take them down. They've acquired an extremely powerful and dangerous magic called Lullaby and plan to use it for something."

"Do we know anything about them?"

"Not much I'm afraid. This town is our first lead. I was a fool not to recall their name. If I did I would have stopped them all then and there."

"Well no harm done, that's what we're here for." Looking around, Naruto was the first to notice, "Where's Natsu?"

"Damn! We must have left him on the train."

Erza was the first to act. Approaching a local station carriage she bluntly commanded, "I'm commandeering this."

Despite the employee's dismay, Erza and the group hopped on and hurriedly raced after Natsu.

Naruto and Gray both situated themselves on top of the carriage. A while into the ride, Naruto moved into a meditative stance. Gray looked at him quizzically, "What are you doing?"

"Scanning for Natsu," he answered without opening his eyes.

Part of the reason Naruto had adapted so well to ANBU missions was his keen ability as a sensor using his toad sage chakra. Conveniently, the atmosphere in Earth Land was completely saturated with magical energy, which Naruto found very much akin to chakra. A few minutes later the train came into view starting to pick up speed again. Naruto stretched his senses.

He opened his eyes, "We're almost on him, he's at the center of the train", he said feeling two magical energy signatures.

Erza pumped more magic into the carriage boosting their speed. Suddenly, Natsu burst through one of the windows, colliding headfirst into Gray. Erza slowed the cart to a halt, backtracking to where Natsu and Gray had fallen and were now vehemently arguing over who was at fault. "Enough!" Erza hollered, freezing the boys in their tracks. Erza walked over to Natsu with arms crossed.

Natsu raised his hands in front of himself in defense, "I ran into some guy who said he was Eisenwald, then he attacked me!"

In a moment of anger, Erza struck Natsu with enough force to physically knock the wind out of him and render him incapacitated for the second time. Huffing, she reprimanded him for not paying enough attention as Natsu desperately wheezed out a description of a demonic looking flute he saw belonging to the man who attacked him.

Lucy had been standing deep in thought before suddenly gasping in realization, "Demon magic lullaby, the magic of death! Anyone who hears a song played on that flute will die!"

At that moment, several station employees came running and screaming, "This is bad! That guild Eisenwald has taken over Oshibana station!"

Naruto walked up to them with a sense of urgency, "Which way is Oshibana?"

The elderly man looked at him, "Huh? It's to the east. You're not seriously thinking of going there are you?"

Naruto just turned back to his team, "Come on we can't waste any time."

* * *

By the time they had reached Oshibana, a large crowd had already gathered outside. Erza got to work immediately, pushing past the murmuring crowd and interrogating every employee in her path about the happenings within the station. Seeing that this was getting them nowhere, Naruto grabbed Erza's wrist and pulled her towards the station. As they approached the grand staircase, the bodies of dead and injured soldiers and a number of civilians littered the steps. At the sight, Erza narrowed her eyes, and Lucy let out a shocked 'eep'.

"Our opponents are mages as well. Be on your guard," Naruto cautioned.

Naruto drew his chakra sabre, holding it in a guard position as they carefully ascended the staircase. Upon reaching the platform, Naruto and his group found all of Eisenwald waiting for them.

"Greetings Fairy Tail mages! We've been waiting for you" a looming figure above the rest predatorily licked his lips.

Erza glared, "You're Eligor aren't you? What are you planning to do with Lullaby?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? Care to guess why we're in a train station?" Eligor then flew up to the broadcast intercom.

"What are you- You'd mindlessly slaughter hundreds of innocent lives!?"

"With a broadcast this powerful we might just be able to kill the whole town! These ignorant fools who know nothing of our plight - how our rights as Dark Guild mages were stripped away from us - they will pay for their ignorance. Living a life oblivious to the unfairness in the world is a sin. I'm the shinigami himself, and with Lullaby, I'll bring judgement to them all!"

As Eligor's rantings and the arrival of Kageyama roused Natsu and the others, Naruto was busy formulating a plan of attack. The others weren't so keenly aware, but Naruto watched carefully as Eligor used Kageyama's attack as a distraction to slip from sight above the station.

 _Kage bunshin is the obvious choice here. The combined strength of its surprise factor and my speed should be more than enough to turn the tide. The rest is up to Erza and the others._

"Erza, Eligor has escaped above. I'm not entirely sure what he's planning but I have a feeling this isn't their end game. I will pursue him." He turned to Natsu, Gray, and Lucy, "You three, find the broadcast booth in case I'm wrong."

Natsu started to protest, "But-"

Naruto released a tremendous amount of chakra, cutting Natsu off. "This isn't a debate! Get going!"

Naruto's glimpse of power had been brief but immense, and had forced nearly everyone present to take a hesitant step back. The Fairy Tail mages save for Erza and Naruto left in search of the broadcast booth. Without even a hand seal, a cloud of smoke erupted around Naruto. Once it cleared, it revealed five identical clones of the blond ninja. Before anyone could recover from their surprise, the original Naruto leapt away from the battlefield, and the clones blinked forward into the mass of Eisenwald mages.

On the roof of the station, the real Naruto found Eligor completing a long incantation. He threw a few knives, which Eligor batted away at the last second. Narrowing his eyes at the blond ninja, he grunted, "I don't have time to play with you."

Leaping off the edge of the building, Eligor flew off into the distance.

"Tch." Naruto leapt off the roof and performed a series of shunshin, in pursuit of the flying mage.

* * *

The clones methodically tore through the mob with brutal efficiency, giving Natsu and Gray a good opportunity to delve farther into the station. Erza quickly recovered from her surprise, equipping her own armor and blades to keep up with Naruto's pace. As she took out a number of enemy mages on her own, she couldn't help but watch the clones out of the corner of her eye, marvelling at their dexterity and skill. Not only were each of the individual clones adept, but they worked flawlessly as a team. As one clone would deliver a singular blow to weaken his opponent, he would unceremoniously advance to the next target, leaving the trailing clones to finish the job. She mused that if Naruto possessed the same finesse as these clones, he might even give her a challenge.

For every mage Erza and the clones dispatched, two seemed to take their place. One of the Eisenwald members cast a powerful flaming blast that scorched a few of his own members, but successfully destroyed two of Naruto's clones. Erza cursed. With a battle cry, she enveloped herself in a bright white light, giving pause to everyone on the battlefield. When the light faded, Erza stood with majestic confidence, clad in broad platinum winged armor. She held two large swords in each hand with several others dancing around her figure. With nothing more than a raise of her sword arm, the floating blades flew forward with enough speed to take out more Eisenwald members within seconds.

Two of Naruto's clones added to the shift in pace with a bladed assault of their own. The third ran up the wall, and started throwing explosive tagged knives. Finally the ranks of Eisenwald started to thin. Cutting down a few of the more cocky swordsmen, Erza looked at the opposite end of the battlefield as several Eisenwald mages surrounded the two clones still on the ground. One was impaled from the back. Before she had a chance to intervene, the remaining clone formed a seal yelling, " _ **Bunshin Daibakuha (Shadow Clone Explosion)!**_ " The clone's explosion reverberated in the vast station, sending up great plumes of smoke and sending several bodies flying. Naruto's display caused pure mayhem amongst the remaining mages, making Erza's task of dispatching them much easier in the ensuing chaos.

The rest fled the battlefield as Erza cut down the last fighting mage. She collapsed in exhaustion and unequipped her armor. Before she could hit the ground, the last remaining clone caught her on one knee, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

"Thank you," she uttered.

Naruto and Erza stood up to move when a sudden and strong gust of wind blew by, kicking up the dirt and dust. Erza shielded her eyes with her free arm. Her jaw dropped in shock when she finally caught a glimpse of the visible winds revolving around the entirety of the station. She quickly put two and two together and cursed, "It appears you were right. Eligor must have planned to trap us here so he could use Lullaby for his real purpose."

"Can you walk? We need to find the others and a way out of here."

"Yes, of course." Taking a deep breath, she stood to her full height, focus restored, "Come on."

Before the two could move, Natsu and the others opportunistically appeared on the balcony above, carrying a wounded Kageyama. "Erza! Naruto! We know what they plan to do! They're going to kill Master and everyone present at the meeting!"

"Well that's not good," the clone deadpanned.

* * *

Naruto felt his senses tingle, and the information from his last dispelled clone alerted him that his Fairy Tail allies were in pursuit. Finally in range of his target, Naruto stopped several meters behind the cloaked figure ahead, "You."

Eligor turned around to face the blond. _I didn't even feel him approach. "_ You're one of those Fairy Tail flies."

Naruto spoke, "I know what you're planning. Stop. I will only warn you once."

Eligor threw his head back in laughter, "You're here to warn me? Don't make me fucking laugh! I'm gonna kill you, then with Lullaby we can show all the legal guilds just how weak they are and they'll have to respect dark guilds. Strength is the only thing that counts in this world! Once I kill all the masters my vengeance will finally begin!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes mumbling to himself, "It's the same everywhere I go."

"Huh? What was that?"

He gazed back emotionlessly without a word, merely raising and pointing his sword at Eligor in a challenge of combat. The two faced each other on the train tracks, unmoving, studying the other carefully. In a show of dominant speed, Naruto relaxed his muscles briefly, sinking slightly closer to the ground, then burst forth while drawing his chakra sabre in one fluid motion. Eligor's eyes widened in shock as Naruto appeared to flicker and glide across the ground. He grit his teeth as he just barely moved his scythe in the way of the incoming blade.

 _Impossible! I could barely see him!_ Naruto's superior strength pressed his blade against the scythe far enough to reach Eligor's neck, drawing blood. In a grunt of frustration, Eligor swung to the side, knocking the sword out of the way, then used his momentum to swing his scythe down onto where Naruto stood. Capitalizing on the momentum given by Eligor's parry, the blond easily sidestepped the overextended attack and delivered a powerful spinning kick to the midsection. Eligor recoiled clutching his abdomen, and Naruto once again surged forward gripping his blade tightly. Eligor barely evaded a stab to the stomach by desperately leaping out of the way. As he scrambled to his feet, he tried to take advantage of some of the distance between them, only for Naruto to appear in front of him. He viciously yanked his scythe back, forcing Naruto to duck and roll to the side. Finally with some sufficient space between them, Eligor formed some complicated hand gestures and amassed a large amount of wind energy.

"Stormbringer!" He thrust his hands forward and powerful funnel of wind erupted from his palms at the blond. The shinobi, however, had prepared a technique of his own. He silently thanked Lord Mifune for showing him such a convenient technique during his time in the Land of Iron. While Eligor prepared his attack, Naruto focused a concentrated amount of chakra on his blade that manifested as a turbulent blue Eligor's attack surged at him, he swung the chakra coated weapon and launched an arced projectile of his own. The arc screeched as it cut Eligor's attack in half, both attacks cancelling entirely.

"What!?" Without a word of acknowledgement, Naruto started to amass the same energy around his sword and launched another arc. Again on the defensive, Eligor successfully dodged to the side, but had no opportunity to recover in lieu of several more incoming arcs of chakra. The ones that missed screeched in his ears and made his hairs stand on end. Eligor managed to avoid most, but received several glancing blows that cut into his arms. Soon the barrage overwhelmed him, and he received one that dug deep from his shoulder across his chest. The blow was enough to knock him on his back several meters. He winced as he rose as quickly as he could to his feet, feeling the pain of broken ribs. Looking down, fear gripped him as he watched the blood pooling in his wounds. Breathing heavily he raised his forearms in a cross in front of him.

"Storm Mail!" Even more turbulent winds than his previous attack started to encapsulate his entire body. The wind hissed and howled like a typhoon, kicking up the gravel beneath him and launching them in various directions. Eligor himself began to hover over the ground. Naruto peered ahead, shielding his eyes from the vicious winds with his arm. Testing the waters, he launched several more arcs, only for them to repel harmlessly off the cyclonic armor. Feeling like he finally had the upper hand, Eligor grinned, "My projectiles are much stronger than yours."

Eligor proceeded to gesture several throwing motions that peeled off his armor and flew with great speed at Naruto. With precision, Naruto methodically weaved through the attacks, allowing them to sail past him harmlessly. While evading Eligor's attacks, he started to formulate a plan of attack.

 _That armor is going to make it dangerous to get close. I'll first need to blast it away then move in quickly._

Naruto waited for a break in Eligor's attacks. Finally the pain of his wounds started to take its toll, and Eligor paused to catch his breath. Naruto sprung into action. Forming a one handed wind seal, he inhaled deeply. _**Fūton: Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough)!**_

As he exhaled, Naruto released a colossal and deafening funnel of wind. The blast moved with such force that it seemed to distort the visible background through it. The attack struck and blasted all of the armor away, and Eligor himself had been blown off his feet and rolled several times before finally stopping at the edge of the tracks, heavily dazed. Eligor had barely managed to get to his feet before Naruto pulled out several of his throwing knives and flung them at his target. As they struck, Eligor dropped to his knees with a ghastly breath. With his chakra saber drawn, he walked up to Eligor. Naruto lifted Eligor's chin with the dull end, forcing their eyes to meet.

"Surrender."

Eligor grinned and spat a mixture of blood and saliva in Naruto's face, "I hope all of you flies die a slow and painful death."

"I see."

* * *

"Pick up the pace!"

The Fairy Tail mages and Kageyama came racing down the tracks in their magic powered car. Coming up upon the bridged tracks Natsu yelled over the rushing winds, "I see them!"

They could all see Naruto standing above Eligor's kneeled form. As they drew nearer, they watched as Eligor tried to attack with his scythe. Naruto easily kicked the weak swing away and thrust forward, impaling Eligor. As he removed the sword, blood torrented from the chest cavity, effectively coating Naruto in thick specks of blood over his face and armor. Eligor's face held an expression of terror as he desperately attempted to breathe only to fail as the blood filled his lungs. Finally, Eligor emitted a sickening gurgling sound and slumped lifelessly into the chasm below. Most looked on in shock, as the car started to come to a stop on the bridge. Lucy had taken this opportune time to vomit vehemently in disgust. Naruto sheathed his blade, and Natsu came running up to him.

"What the hell did you just do!"

Turning to Natsu, he looked at him with a blank expression. "Natsu."

"Why!?"

Naruto looked away with a frustrated sigh. As the rest of the group approached, he started slowly, "Some people in this life give you know other choice."

"What the hell? There's always a choice!"

He looked back at the young teen with a hard gaze, "Don't be naive, Natsu. What would you do if someone threatened your comrades?"

"I'd beat them down!"

Naruto pressed, "And if they would kill those you loved? If they killed your friends?"

"I-..."

"That man would kill Master Makarov and wouldn't hesitate to do the same or worse to you or anyone you love. He'd enjoy it too. Would you stand idly by as he did?"

Natsu just grit his teeth, seething at Naruto. Most of the other mages felt the same way, though Erza just looked strangely uncomfortable. Unfortunately, amidst the distracted energy of the group, Kageyama had started the car again and moved quickly along the tracks. Grabbing the demonic flute that had fallen nearby, he gloated, "You were careless!"

Naruto cursed. He mused that his awareness must really be dulling if he forgot to secure the critical objective. He turned to Erza, "Their real targets are the masters ahead. We have to catch up to him. "

She nodded, "Yes, we know. Let's go."

With a feeling of desperation, the shinobi and mages raced to the meeting.

* * *

The group reached the meeting place just in time to see Master Makarov coerce Kageyama into surrender.

"I accept my loss."

Suddenly, a low hiss started to emit from Lullaby that had fallen a distance away. In a dark purple flash, an enormous ethereal tree-like demon appeared where the flute once was. "I'll consume all your pitiful souls."

The demon raised its enormous arm over its head. Erza ordered, "Everyone scatter!"

Its arm came crashing down and left an enormous indentation in the ground where the mages once stood.

Natsu took the initiative, advancing on the demon and delivering a powerful flaming kick that forced the titanic demon to recoil.

"Impudence!" It bellowed.

Furiously, the demon fired a torrent of energy blasts from its mouth at the Fairy Tail mages in addition to the bystanders.

Gray invoked his magic, "Ice make: **Shield**!"

Spreading his arms, a thick sheet of ice appeared in the space between the incoming energy attacks and the bystanders below. The impact created great fireballs and littered the area with a thick smoke, but the shield remained steadfast without even a crack. Naruto casually walked next to the master, arms crossed and eyes on the battle.

"They make quite a team."

Makarov just smiled in response. Gray didn't let up. He invoked his next spell, "Ice make: **Lance!** "

This time spines of ice flew from his hands, striking the demon all across its body. Before it could recover, Natsu delivered a series of flaming strikes while Erza exquipped her quick and powerful black wing armor.

"Finish it now!"

The Fairy Tail mages unleashed a barrage of attacks, engulfing the demon in plumes of ice and ashen dust. Falling backward, the demon's enormous frame crashed down onto the buildings below. As the dust settled, there laid ruins of rubble and nothing more than mere fragments of the demon's original form.

Lucy could barely whisper, "Incredible."

Fairy Tail had won.

* * *

Naruto willfully ignored the apprehensive glances from some of the younger members as he walked through the guild hall. Passing Natsu, the boy eyed him warily. It had been his first return to the hall since the Eisenwald incident a few days ago, and he guessed the teen had spread the word of his kill during the mission. He'd thusly avoided anything relating to the guild and even missed Natsu and Erza's fight and their subsequent dramatic arrest by the council. Letting out a sigh he situated himself at his usual bar spot beside Cana, hailing Mirajane for a drink.

"Gimme the strongest stuff."

As if already prepared for the request, she slid the drink across to him. "It's been a little while. That bad?"

Naruto just grunted, easily kicking back the drink and raising his arm for another. She complied, sliding another across the bar. Downing it in a gulp, he waved at her for a third.

Mira furrowed her brow, "Naruto, don't you think you should slow down?"

Naruto just looked at her, "Mira…"

"I hate to say it but I think she might be onto something blondie," Cana chimed. "And that's coming from me."

Naruto just gave her a deadpanned look, to which Cana just shrugged and returned to her barrel.

Closing her eyes with a sigh, Mirajane poured him another, hitting the glass on the bar surface a little harder than usual. Before Naruto could stop to enjoy it, he felt Makarov approach him from behind.

"Mind if I join you?"

Naruto said nothing, choosing to take a sip. His silence held little weight though, as Makarov had already moved to sit at the stool beside him.

"Hooookay, I'll catch you later," Cana excused herself making a quick exit.

Makarov waited a moment, "Erza told me about the mission."

"Oh?"

"Honestly, even after the warning I gave you."

Naruto had prepared himself for the worst and casually asked, "So am I no longer welcome?"

The master just shook his head, "I said killing is forbidden between guilds, but some of the notorious dark guilds are excluded because of the threat they pose to society. Eisenwald's recent actions resulted in the deaths of a number of innocents and Oshibana. They aren't protected by the law. Still I can't say I approve."

"For what it's worth it was never my intent to let the kids see."

Makarov just sighed, "I had a feeling something like this would happen eventually, just not your first damned mission. You're still welcome here, but you'll have to deal with my children's attitudes about you on your own."

Naruto just scoffed, quickly finishing off the rest of his drink. Before Naruto could stand up to move, he sensed a powerful aura cast over the guild. Eerily similar to genjutsu, he quickly surrounded his body in a shield of chakra, blasting his tenketsu free of the magic invading his senses. Looking around he could see all but the master and himself had fallen asleep.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Mystogan."

On cue, a heavily cloaked figure made his way into the guild. Naruto eyed him carefully, which Mystogan matched equally. The cloaked man strode up to the mission board taking one of the jobs before just as quickly turning to leave. As he passed Naruto, he stopped and turned to look at him, "It seems we've gained another who can resist my sleep magic."

The blond introduced himself with a nod, "Naruto."

"Mystogan." He paused, "We will meet again." Without a second glance, he briskly turned and left the building.

As the sleeping members started to wake up, Makarov just stared in surprise, "You know that may be the most I've ever heard out of that man in one sitting."

"Does he always do that whenever he comes here?"

A new voice interjected to answer his question, "That recluse never shows his face around here."

Naruto looked above at the second floor balcony at the presence he had sensed for a while. There stood a strong and tall blond man with a smirk. He continued, "It's about time someone came around his craphole of a guild who's strong enough to resist his pathetic parlor tricks."

Naruto noticed the striking resemblance between the man and the old master. Without acknowledging his statement he turned to Makarov, "He your kid or something?"

Laxus's temper flared, " **My** name is Laxus." He leapt from the balcony onto the first floor, confidently striding up to Naruto and putting a hard hand on his shoulder, "Who do you think you're talking to, _**Naruto**_?"

Naruto rose his brow, dismissively swatting his hand away.

He left some cash on the bar giving the bleary eyed Mirajane a wave. Rubbing her eyes with a yawn, she mumbled, "Leaving already?" Without a word, he stood up and waved to Mirajane, leaving a seething Laxus and a worried Mirajane in his wake.

* * *

Anko slammed her fist on the table, pointing an accusing finger, "You masked perv, you get a fancy hat n' jacket n' suddenly yer too good fer us?" She stood up and wavered, spilling some of her drink on herself.

With a sweatdrop, Kakashi put his hands up to placate her, "Say, Anko, I think you've had more than enough tonight huh?"

"My ass! This is the first we've seen ya in months! You hidin' from us?" The kunoichi gulped down her drink in one go and threw the empty glass in Kakashi's general direction.

Ibiki held her back, "What the hell, Anko, he's the hokage! Besides we're just on leave from the frontlines, what do you expect? Sorry about this Hokage-sama, but we'll take our leave now." He slung the woman over his shoulder and marched out of the bar.

"What the fuck Ibiki! Put me the fuck down, I still haven't finished my bottle!"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll pick one up on the way home. See ya later, Kakashi. Naruto."

The two aforementioned ninja waved before settling into the ensuing silence, the yells of Anko growing quieter in the distance. Neither spoke, both preferring the quiet after the eccentric female ninja's tirade. Besides, this moment where each could enjoy their drink in peace offered an unusual respite from the pandemonium of the war. Finally Kakashi turned to look at the blond, appearing to search for something to say to the somber ninja.

"I know why you turned the position down."

Naruto just groaned, "Not another 'talk', Sensei. Everyone's already said their piece."

"Look what happened wasn't your fault."

"I should have been able to protect them Kakashi. They were **my** team."

"You did everything you could. It's war, Naruto, these things happen."

Naruto's temper flared, "For fuck's sake!" He rose to his feet, "All my life I dreamt about ending these meaningless conflicts, and now we're right back in the middle of total war! My squad is in absolute shambles. Hell, I couldn't even protect my own wife! What'd they all die for anyway? You change the heart of one man in power and another will gut him to take his place. Maybe we're okay in our own little village, but changing everyone up to the god damned Daimyo? No. On their chessboard, you and me? We're just pawns. Being the Hokage just isn't something I can bear."

"You don't believe that. You're father-"

"No, I do. _That's_ why I turned down the job." He paused, "That day I held back against Pein, I thought to myself, 'Hey I can do this. I can change the world.' But you know what? I just don't fucking care anymore. That's why I turned down the job, sensei. I'm just gonna protect the few that I have left. So for Kami's sake, at least from you of all people, I don't want to hear that 'these things just happen.' I'm really tired of that garbage."

Kakashi had no rebuttal. Sighing at the stunned look on his face, Naruto sat back down, playing with his empty glass. He perked up as Kakashi reached over, filling it again with liquor. He looked at Kakashi who was smiling softly at him, glass raised.

"To our comrades."

Naruto let his negative emotions subside, thanking Kakashi by meeting his glass with his own. Tonight he wouldn't have to mourn alone.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes slowly, staring at the ceiling above. Looking over at his surroundings he was reminded that he was no longer in the world he knew, but in this new land and for now, his home. Sitting up, he put his hand to his forehead, pushing the remnants of his dream back into the ether of memory. His head now clear he recalled that the order he placed for his prosthetic arm should be completed that day. With a stretch and a yawn, he quickly threw on a shirt and his gear and headed out the door.

Arriving at the blacksmith's shop, he spotted the old bearded man tending to the outdoor forge. The smith returned Naruto's wave with an excited wave and a whoop of his own, "Heh heh you came right on time lad! Yer arm is finally ready."

The smith jumped down from his stepping stool and hobbled over to one of the near cluttered tables. He hastily cleared some space by knocking the contents to the ground with a sweep of his arm. Reaching under the table, he hoisted a long metallic appendage up and dropped it onto the table with a clang. Naruto walked on over to inspect the device.

"C'mere, we gotta attach somethin' to yer arm first."

The smith slapped a joint of some kind to Naruto's stub. Naruto felt a piercing and searing pain in his arm, forcing him to fight the urge to scream and writhe in pain. As soon as the pain started, it stopped, and Naruto gripped his arm tenderly. "What did you just do?"

"Heh, sorry 'bout that, I guess I shoulda warned ye. It's a magic device that'll fuse with yer knob there and it'll hold yer new arm in place." The blacksmith pointed a finger in his face, "You'd better be thankful lad, I had ta call in some big favors to get that thing enchanted. I'm no mage."

Naruto just nodded, prodding the smith to continue. The latter grabbed the mechanical arm and lodged it into the joint, giving it several pushes and twists and securing several locks. Naruto opened his eyes in surprise as he had just realized the purpose of the magical joint. As the blacksmith gave the arm a final turn, Naruto felt his own chakra surge through the mechanical arm. His urge to move seamlessly blended with the movements of the arm and even the fingers before him.

"Incredible," he marveled.

"I knew you'd like it sonny. Take care of it now, it wasn't an easy job. If you need any repairs I'll be here."

Naruto thanked the man, leaving a large sack of coin containing nearly his entire pay from the last mission. Walking back, he held up his arm against the backdrop of the blue sky, observing the glare of the sun off the arm's mirror sheen. He relaxedly smiled for the first time in what he felt was ages with his newfound confidence. Excited to test his new limb, he decided to head to the training ground.

Coming upon the field, he spotted the unmistakably bright red hair of one Erza Scarlet, clad in her usual pleated armor. He watched as she maneuvered her floating swords as if wielded by an invisible figure. As he approached, Erza spotted him, turning to acknowledge his presence. Upon realizing the approaching figure was Naruto, she formed a slight frown. Naruto grunted to himself. _Well I guess she's not pleased either._

He settled for his sensei's casual greeting, "Yo."

Erza's expression didn't change, "Greetings, otherworldly man."

Naruto raised his brow, "How did you know about that?"

"I thought something was different about you, so I pressed the master about you after our last mission. I see you've outfitted yourself a new arm."

He halfheartedly grinned, "Yeah, none too soon. Could have used it on the last mission. Mind if I join you?"

"No, in fact I want to speak with you."

"Oh?"

"Your actions on the mission. It was unseemly."

He sighed running his hand through his blond locks, "You know, the old man and I already spoke about this."

"Then you'll hear it from me."

Naruto stared unamused at the assertive woman, "...Tell you what, why don't have a quick spar? I win and I get to go home in peace. You win then we can talk all you want."

Erza sported an uncharacteristically dark smile, "Very well. As it happens I've needed a decent **target** for quite some time."

"Great…" Naruto walked across the field and turned to face her, "No magic, I wanna see what you can do."

Erza nodded. He drew his chakra saber with his new arm, pleased to have the weapon back in his dominant hand. Erza donned her usual breastplate and pleated skirt, a combination Naruto still couldn't quite wrap his head around. Outstretching her arm in front of her, a thick broadsword materialized into her palm seemingly out of thin air.

With a quick swipe of the weapon, she challenged, "Don't hold back. En garde!"

Naruto grinned at the prospect of an actual challenge, not wasting a second and charging forward. Erza reacted with ease. As soon as he entered her space, she delivered two cross slashes. Naruto was forced to stop his charge, pivoting back and forth to evade the attacks. Erza took advantage of his stunted momentum and counterattacked. Gripping her sword with both hands, she sliced downwards, which Naruto hopped back to evade. Erza, however, was quick, and she pressed forward with another downward slice before Naruto could regain his footing. This time he was force to fully block her attack with his sword and kunai behind it. The attack struck with enough power to force him on one knee. Naruto was surprised to say the least - she was strong. Not as terrifyingly strong as Tsunade or Sakura had been, but he mused that taking an attack head on from this woman was very much ill advised. He silently thanked himself for reinforcing the tensile strength of his weapons regularly with chakra.

Naruto turned the tide. In one motion and with the help of his offhand, he knocked her weapon away and attempted a tripping kick around her ankles. Erza read his attack, hopping back and deciding to re engage Naruto on equal footing. She received her own surprise when Naruto advanced toward her, still low to the ground. With blinded speed he exploded with an upward slash, grazing her breastplate.

Tch!" Erza let out her frustration. Naruto didn't let up. He followed up his attack with a spinning kick to Erza's head. When she dodged he used the momentum of his spin to lead into a reverse slash with his kunai. He was impressed when instead of avoiding his attack, she caught him by the wrist. Naruto cursed, as he was now caught with his back turned to his opponent and a sword ready to pike his head. Undeterred, he pivoted inward, tilting his head just slightly and allowing the incoming attack to graze his cheek. Sufficiently within her guard, but not safe from the dangerous position of Erza's weapon by his neck, he went for a full on tackle, taking them both to the ground. Now on top of her, he held his chakra saber across the front of her neck. Erza, however, had recovered just as quickly, her sword leaning deep against his neck and cutting dangerously close to his carotid artery.

Neither moved, staring in each others' eyes, searching for any signs of surrender. Finally, Naruto let out a sigh, retracting his weapon and standing up. "If this were to go on, you'd kill me before I could kill you."

He offered his hand, which Erza took gratefully. She cleared the hair from her brow, "Ready to talk?"

"Do your worst."

She huffed, then adopted a calm look, "Why kill him?"

"And you wouldn't?"

Erza narrowed her eyes, "I would avoid it if I could, but what you did was brutal, especially in front of Natsu and the others. Why couldn't you force him to surrender?"

He shook his head, "I gave him his chance. I'm not proud of it, but I've seen and done much worse. I don't like letting the kids see it either, but I can't change my beliefs for that."

"Still, it was unbecoming of a Fairy Tail mage."

"In case you've forgotten, I'm not exactly one of you. Besides I find it hard to believe you've got clean hands. No one I've ever met fights to kill like you do and comes out a saint."

Erza snapped her head in his direction, eyes widened in indignance before settling into a resigned expression. She breathed out softly, "You're not wrong. It's true, I've sullied my hands on more than one occasion to make it here today."

Erza sat down on the grassy knoll overlooking the training field. Naruto just blinked in surprise, having expected her to retort. Finally he opted to join her.

After a moment she started, "It was the day I first learned I possessed magical abilities. I was a slave once long ago. Eventually a few others and I attempted an escape, but we were captured and tortured for heaven knows how long."

Erza subconsciously traced her fingers over her right eye, which didn't go unnoticed by Naruto, "Your eye."

Erza looked at him a little surprised, "What?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly at his bluntness, "Sorry, I noticed when we were fighting. You have a false eye don't you?"

She smiled softly at Naruto, "Indeed, they took my sight at that time. It was shortly after that where we finally staged a full scale revolt against our captors. Things went smoothly at first, but the situation grew dire once the mages appeared. I lost many friends that day, including a man who'd been like a grandfather to me." She paused painfully, "All those emotions… the anger and sadness. Something awoke inside of me, and before I knew it I'd unlocked my abilities. I cut down more than a few mages that day for the sake of our freedom."

Naruto empathized, embracing the moment of silence following her story. Finally he asked, "Do you think you did any of it out of vengeance?"

Erza shifted uncomfortably, "I can't say I did it with purely noble intent. All the things they did to us, I don't think I could ever forgive them. But I don't think of myself as a killer."

"I'm impressed you can see it that way."

"Why, how do you see it?"

Naruto just looked at her before turning away, "I used to be the captain of a squad. I'd known them for years and we'd spent the past few eating together, fighting together, carving our own little haven in a world consumed by war. One mission we were sent to eliminate the enemy general while he was away to meet with some high ranking dignitaries. Turns out we had a leak in the chain of command and were ambushed before we even reached our target. I was separated from my squad scouting the surrounding territory when the enemy attacked. Anyone they didn't kill on the spot were captured and summarily tortured. I spent the next few days tracking them down and when I finally found them... most of them had been executed. One of 'em had his arms and legs smashed, crippling him for life. And the woman on my squad, well… they took her body and mind. She was never the same after that. I don't remember very vividly immediately after, but I slaughtered everyone in that camp."

Erza was stunned, "I'm so sorry. That's terrible." She paused, at a loss for words before asking, "Do you regret it?"

Naruto was unsure how to answer, "I'm not so sure these days. At the time I felt purified, but now, it feels like a hollow victory."

Erza had no response, simply calculating the blond man before her. He was enigmatic and much more violent than the company she was accustomed to, but certainly not malicious. Frankly, she respected him for having a pretty sound mind given the events he'd just told her. Before she could come up with something to say, Naruto stood up, dusting himself off.

"Well that's enough story swapping, why don't we head on back? I could use a drink."

Erza smiled, "It's still midday you know. It's no wonder you and Cana get along so well."

Surprisingly enough to Naruto, Erza was easy to talk to. She was a little stiff and awkward, but also direct and genuine, qualities he had missed among his usually deceptive shinobi allies. The pair lapsed into casual conversation and before they knew it they stood in front of the massive double doors of the guild. Walking inside, both picked up immediately on the tense atmosphere looming around everyone.

Mirajane perked up when she spotted the two walk in, "Erza! Naruto! Where on earth have you been!?"

Naruto was confused, "Training. Why? What's with everyone?"

Makarov walked up to them with a serious expression, "We've been searching for you. You need to bring Natsu and the others back immediately."

Erza questioned, "Where have they gone?"

"Garuna Island. The S-Rank mission."

"What!" Erza was livid.

"Yes." The old master turned to Naruto, "You will go with her. Get them back here as soon as possible. I'm counting on you both."

Naruto nodded, "You got it old man."

* * *

 **Sorry about the wait. I've had very little time to write lately, but I'll still be working on it consistently. Thanks.**


	5. Author's Note

Thanks for the reviews and comments. Here I'll explain some of my decisions about the story and address some concerns regarding lore technicalities and Naruto's overall strength.

At the very core of my reasoning, I didn't want to make Naruto severely overpowered like he is at the end of the manga. Unless that's the theme you're purposefully going to go with, in my mind it makes for poor story progression. I think part of a compelling tale is the change that occurs when facing obstacles within the context of one's human limits. Miura's _Berserk_ for instance highlights the struggle of man in a fantastical world of gods, demons, and seemingly insurmountable challenges. Naruto in this story ranks among the strongest of humans, but to make him effectively a god would render any would be challenge in the future a farce. That's just not a road I'm interesting in treading down.

As far as lore consistency goes, I may try to go back and flesh things out more accurately, but for now I'll just call it dramatic licensing and ask for your suspension of disbelief. Movies are also not canon. ThanksAThanks again people :)


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